Folding tooth-brush.



Patented July 16, 1912f WI T/VESSES:

A TTORNEV FBANK E. KRESS, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

roLnINe TOOTH-BRUSH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1912.

Application filed November 27, 1911. Serial No. 662,637.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK E. Knnss, a citizen of the United States,residing at Denver, county of Denver, State of Colorado, have inventedcertain-new and useful Improvements in Folding Tooth-Brushes, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements which I have made in thefolding tooth-brush disclosed in my patent of February 15, 1910, No.949,540. 7

These improvements will now be described in connection with theaccompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is .a bottom plan view of thehandle portion when closed, Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the completebrush open, Fig. 2 is a partialplan view of Fig. 2, Fig. 3 is across-section of'the handle on the line 33 of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is across-section of the handle onthe line 44 of Fig. 2, Fig. 5 is across-section of the handle pivot on the line 55 of Fig. 2, Fig. 6 is alongitudinal section through the bristle-carrying plate, Fig. 7 is anunderneath plan View of the same, and Fig. 8 is. a longitudinal sectionthrough the brush when folded.

'As in myv patented brush, the handle is made in two parts 5 and 6,pivoted together at 7, the part 5 carrying the bristles and the part 6being U-shaped. and constituting a casing for the bristles when thebrush is folded. Also, as before, the handle part 6 has itssides formedof wings 17 pivoted to it. ,These pivots o'r hinges I now form bypunching and bending the side walls of the part 6 and the lugs 15 of thewings 17, and engaging them together, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4.24 represent ventilating holes in these wings. One of my presentimprovements consists in the proa vision of means for automaticallyopening and closing said sidewings when the brush is folded. I

-9 represents a spring trigger pivoted at 12 in the part 6 and engagingwith its rear or left-hand end in slotted lips 18 formed on saidside-wings 17. The front end of the trigger is rounded to engage innotches 11 formed in the hinge-block 10, carried at the end of the part5 and turning on the pivot-pin 7 between the side walls of the U-shapedpart 6, 14 representing washers in which the ends of said pivot-pin areriveted. As usual the trigger serves to hold the brush in both open andclosed positions,

13 representing a spring secured to the trigger 9 and bearing againstthe top of the part 6. The trigger'also serves to openjand close thewings 17 automatically.

WV-hen the part 5 is turned on the pivot to fol d the brush, the roundnose of the trigger is forced out of the notch 11 against the pressureof the spring 13, whereby the other end of said trigger is raised, theeffect of whichis to open the wings 17, that is, to swing them into thedotted line position of Figs. 3 and 4. When the brush reaches the foldedposition'of Fig. 8, the nose of the trigger snaps into the oppositenotch 11 and the wings are closed into the full line posiv tion.

The front end of the part 5 is enlarged to form a dished head 4, thewalls 3 of which are slightly inclined inwardly. In

this head is placed the plate or head 2, of inverted pan-shape and thewalls 21 of which are slightly flared outwardly to make a tight fit withthe walls 3 of the head. To further secure the pan 2 in the head, Iprovide a locking device, consisting of a finger 26, pivoted at 27 onthe part 5 and engag ing in a recess 25 in the end wall of the pan.

The bottom ofthe pan 2 has openings punched in it for the 'reception'ofthe bristles 1 and is filled with a composition 20 which sets and holdsthe bristles firmly in place. A wire 23 passes through the folded endsof the bristle tufts to assist in maintaining them in position.-

It will be seen that my improved brush embodies all the advantages of mypreviously patented brush and that, in addition, it has certain novelfeatures which render it still more convenient and serviceable.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A foldingtooth-brush, the handle part of which forms a casing for the bristleswhen the brush is closed, said part comprising laterally swinging sides,a spring trigger for holding the brush either in open or closed positionand means on said sides engaged by said trigger whereby said sides areautomatically opened when the folding is commenced and closed when it iscompleted. I

2. In a folding tooth-brush, a handle part provided with pivoted sidesto form'a casing for the bristles, andmeans to hold the brush eitheropened or closed, said means at the same time acting to automaticallyopen and close said sides as the brush is folded and opened. I

3. A folding tooth-brush comprising in combination a headpart and ahandle part pivoted together, a spring trigger to hold said parts eitherin alinement or in folded relation, and side wings pivoted to saidhandle part and having slotted projections 10 engaging said trigger,whereby said wings are swung outwardly when the brush is being folded oropened and inwardly when the brush is fully closed or opened.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK E. KRESS.

Witnesses:

J. VINCENT WOOD, E. A. BROWN. I

